MNeu Wiki Articles/Code of Malatora
The Code of Malatora is the official moral code of the Federated Commonwealth of Malatora: The Code of Malatora Honor, Courage, Loyalty, Honesty, Respect, Benevolence, Rectitude 1. Always have a goal to strive for. 2. Patience: nothing great is created suddenly. 3. Adversity is a test: willpower is the answer. 4. Learn something new every day. 5. Keep the mind open: embrace the unknown and unfamiliar. 6. Know the past, lest it repeat. 7. One for all, and all for one. 8. From each according to ability, to each according to need. 9. Give more, take less. 10. Eat to live, don't live to eat. 11. Waste nothing. 12. All belongs to all. 13. One raindrop raises the sea. 14. Thought is indispensable. 15. Strength protects the weak. 16. Do not hesitate to confront evil; it will not hesitate to confront you. Analysis The Code of Malatora has roughly the same effect on FedCom society as a Constitution. All laws must be carefully weighed against the Code, and may in no way trespass upon it. The Code thus has the status of absolute law, and nothing (not even a nation's constitution) may violate it. The Code is inviolable, and supersedes all other law: nothing, and no one, is above it. In daily activities, the Code is employed as a set of moral guidelines, and helps to define what is acceptable behavior and what isn't. All Malatorans (citizens of FedCom) must accept this code and agree to live by it. The Seven Virtues The backbone of the Code consists of seven virtues: Honor, Courage, Loyalty, Honesty, Respect, Benevolence, and Rectitude. These seven virtues match (and are directly derived from) the ancient Japanese Code of Bushidō, and are analogous to the European concept of chivalry. The seven virtues, and what they mean, are explained below: * Honor ::The English word scarcely does this concept justice. Honor is an individual's measure of their self-worth: whether they are a "good" or "bad" person. Only an individual's actions can affect this internal balance (it is impossible for others to affect honor), and those actions define who someone truly is inside. No one can hide from themselves. (Honor is gained by adhering to the other six virtues.) * Courage ::Malatorans are strong in heart and mind. They have the courage to face all challenges with optimism and determination. The unknown and unfamiliar does not frighten a Malatoran. They rise above the masses who are afraid to act. Courage means living life completely, fully, and wonderfully. Courage is not blind, but is intelligent and strong. * Loyalty ::Malatorans shall be forever loyal to this Code, their nation, community, and themselves. Their word is their bond. They will never betray the trust they engender in others. To those a Malatoran is responsible for, they shall always remain true. * Honesty ::When a Malatoran says they will perform an action, it is as good as done. Nothing will stop him from completing what he said he will do. A Malatoran does not have to "give his word" or "promise". * Respect ::Malatorans have no reason to be cruel. They do not have to prove their strength. They are courteous even to their enemies. Without this outward show of respect, people are nothing more than animals. * Benevolence ::Malatorans are compassionate and kind. They seize every opportunity to help others. If an opportunity does not arise, a Malatoran goes out of his way to find one. * Rectitude ::Malatorans are honest throughout all their dealings with others. They have no reason to lie. Malatorans believe in justice, not from others, but from themselves. There are no shades of gray in the question of honesty and justice: there is only right and wrong. The Sixteen Codes The 16 individual Codes are the real meat of the Code, and have far-reaching implications. * 1. Always have a goal to strive for. ::In addition to stating the obvious, this implies that everyone has a purpose. If nothing else, all Malatorans have the goal of making themselves better than they are. There is always room for self-improvement, and no excuse not to pursue it. * 2. Patience: nothing great is created suddenly. ::This reminds everyone that patience is more important than speed. Impatience leads to errors and hazards, while a slower approach can more easily avoid such troubles. Quality should not be sacrificed for quantity. In terms of FedCom's growth, it brings to mind the old saying that "Rome was not created in a day". * 3. Adversity is a test: willpower is the answer. ::There is nothing that can break a strong will: nothing. Know yourself, and not even the worst torture can break you. Through steadfast resolve and determination, Malatorans can overcome any challenge, no matter how great it may be. * 4. Learn something new every day. ::Spending life in stagnation is a fate worse than death. Everyone should continually seek out new knowledge and new experiences. Knowledge is power, and power is never something to be horded: share and exchange knowledge. * 5. Keep the mind open: embrace the unknown and unfamiliar. ::Reminds everyone that the strange and unusual should never be feared or hated. Do not become entrenched in dogma or bigotry. Through diversity, we find greater strength. * 6. Know the past, lest it repeat. ::Study the past, and learn from the mistakes of others. Listen to the wise men of the past, rather than the fools of today. * 7. One for all, and all for one. ::The individual is selfless: they put the team before themselves. In turn, the team will never forsake the individual. * 8. From each according to ability, to each according to need. ::This Code ties in with the next several Codes to permit the FedCom economic model to self-regulate. It is derived from the basics of socialism, and says that if you provide for others, others will provide for you. * 9. Give more, take less. ::Another general rule that powers the FedCom economic model. This could be interpreted as a taboo on greed. * 10. Eat to live, don't live to eat. ::This may be interpreted literally, as an argument against gluttony, but it can also apply to any consumable item. Take only what you need. * 11. Waste nothing. ::Taken literally, this encourages rationing. Additionally, this Code mandates recycling, and boycotts things which cannot be recycled. * 12. All belongs to all. ::The last Code of the economic group, this one is especially flexible. It says the means of production are owned and controlled by all of society. It says there is no such thing as personal property, and that all the benefits of society are shared equally. It rejects the concept of copyright and intellectual property, making everything in society free and in the public domain. This Code, when applied to a medium such as the internet, allows everything accessible through such medium to be assumed to be "open source": thus, "public visibility" is equated with "public domain". (Note that this applies only within FedCom's borders, and to how Malatorans gather outside information and share it with each other - Malatorans may still, and often do, exploit international copyright laws to protect their creations from foreigners.) * 13. One raindrop raises the sea. ::This Code is a metaphor with hundreds of applications. It can be used to argue that the whole is greater than its individual parts. It is often used to mean that something, no matter how small or insignificant that thing may seem, is better than nothing at all. The Code can also imply that even though we are small beings, it only takes one to make a big difference. * 14. Thought is indispensable. ::This Code reminds everyone to think before they act, and consider the consequences. It also supports the use of rational thought to overcome irrational emotions and anxiety. Thought focuses people, and guides them through treacherous waters. Thought looks into the pit of hell, and is not afraid. * 15. Strength protects the weak. ::The strong have a moral obligation to place themselves between danger and the weak, helpless, and defenseless. This Code strongly criticizes "bystander apathy". It also ties into the next Code... * 16. Do not hesitate to confront evil; it will not hesitate to confront you. ::The last Code is one of the most important. It says that tyranny and persecution can never be tolerated, and must be promptly confronted and destroyed. It polarizes FedCom against horrors such as genocide. It echoes the truth of what Edmund Burke once famously said: "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Category:FedCom